Damien knelt by the fallen Empyrean Bears, his blade flashing as he worked to extract their essence cores.
Each orb pulsed faintly with icy energy, a proof of the beasts’ formidable power. He held them up, their glow illuminating the determination in his eyes.
These would be valuable not just for his mission rewards but for his personal growth. After pocketing the cores in his special storage, Luton’s (Universal Space), he climbed back onto Fenrir, giving the wolf a light pat on the side.
“Let’s go,” he said, his voice steady. The Bloody Green Orchid awaited, and every moment wasted increased the chance of another obstacle in his path.
Fenrir moved at a steady pace through the forest, its keen senses ensuring a safe path forward. Cerbe followed behind, its three heads scanning the surroundings while Luton remained perched atop Damien’s head.
Though Damien was physically fine, the lingering tension from the earlier battle kept him alert. He focused on the bond he shared with Aquila, his Griffin summon.
“Aquila’s coming back, huh?” The connection was growing stronger, a sign that Aquila was truly approaching.
Kreeeeii!!
Moments later, a majestic cry echoed through the trees, and Damien looked up. “There you are,”
Aquila’s figure appeared in the sky, its golden feathers glinting in the filtered sunlight. The Griffin descended with a flourish, landing gracefully a few meters ahead.
Thud!
Damien dismounted Fenrir and approached the beast.
“Kreii! Kaw!” Aquila let out a series of sharp cries and clicks, its body shifting restlessly as it communicated what it had seen.
Damien nodded, understanding the Griffin’s report. The place he’d sent it to scout was empty. The orchids weren’t there, but faint traces suggested they’d been moved.
“Can you track it?” Damien asked.
Aquila chirped an affirmative, shifting its head toward the south.
“Good. Let’s move.”
Damien climbed onto Aquila’s back, turning to his remaining summons. “Fenrir, Cerbe,” he commanded, “go hunt demons. I’ll summon you if needed.”
Both creatures acknowledged the order before heading off in different directions. With Luton still securely on his head, it’s rightful throne, Damien held tight as Aquila took to the sky.
Fwaaaa~
The Griffin’s powerful wings carried them swiftly over the forest, its keen eyes scanning below for any unusual movement or signs of the orchid’s path.
The ride didn’t take long. Aquila descended into a densely wooded area, its wings folding neatly as it landed. Damien slid off its back and surveyed the scene. “Hmm… same as I remember it.” There was a certain tree with a deep hole in its trunk which he used to remember the location. It was a sort of natural marker.
This was where he’d last seen the Bloody Green Orchids. The ground bore faint signs of disturbance—patches of soil where the plants had once rooted, now bare. What caught his eye next were the subtle drag marks leading away from the area.
“It’s been moved,” Damien muttered, crouching to inspect the faint trails. Something had pulled the plants from their original location. Though the marks were faint, they were clear enough to follow.
Damien began tracing the trail on foot, his pace quick but cautious. Aquila remained in the sky, circling above to avoid alerting any creatures in the area. The drag marks twisted through the forest, weaving between dense thickets and around large trees.
Not long into his tracking, Damien stumbled upon a slumbering mana beast, its massive form blocking part of the trail. The beast, a Grade Four creature, was a towering figure with thick, bark-like skin and roots tangling around its resting spot.
Damien froze, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. After weighing his options, Damien shook his head.
“This isn’t worth it,” he whispered to himself. While he could handle the beast with Aquila’s support, it wasn’t necessary. His goal was the orchid, and engaging the beast would only delay him.
Carefully, Damien maneuvered around the sleeping creature, keeping his steps light and deliberate. Aquila, from above, remained still, its keen senses locked onto Damien’s movements.
Once he was clear of the beast, Damien resumed his pursuit, his steps picking up speed as the trail grew more distinct.
After following the drag marks for what felt like miles, Damien arrived at a clearing. His breath hitched as he took in the sight before him.
The area was thick with magic essence, so dense it was visible, swirling in the air like faint ribbons of light. The atmosphere was almost suffocating, the sheer concentration of power overwhelming.
But it wasn’t the essence itself that shocked him. Scattered across the ground were the Bloody Green Orchids, their vivid green petals stained with dark red markings like blood splatters. They were everywhere, carpeting the ground in unnatural beauty.
Damien took a cautious step forward, but then he froze. The orchids were moving.
Not all of them, but enough to make Damien’s heart race. The plants shifted and twisted, their roots curling and uncurling as though they had a life of their own. Some of the orchids dragged themselves across the ground, while others rose slightly, their roots writhing like tiny tentacles.
“What the…?” Damien muttered, his voice barely audible. The scene reminded him of the tree demons he’d fought before, but these orchids weren’t demonic—at least, not entirely. Their movements were slower, more deliberate, as if they were sentient but not hostile.
He crouched, studying one of the moving orchids from a distance. Its petals pulsed faintly, glowing with stored essence, and the air around it buzzed with energy. These weren’t ordinary plants—they were something far more complex.
Damien’s shock gave way to determination. The mission had just become more complicated, but the reward was too valuable to abandon. He would need to figure out how to approach these strange plants without triggering whatever defenses they might have. He would have to take a step back first.
Standing, he turned to Aquila, who had landed silently a few feet away. “Stay close,” he said, his voice low. “This might get messy.”